


Out of Our Shells

by AristaStarfyr



Series: Omegaverse [7]
Category: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TV 2012), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - All Media Types
Genre: Crossroads, M/M, Turtlecest, see all tags before since posting them like this sucks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-19
Updated: 2016-02-27
Packaged: 2018-05-21 15:52:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,377
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6057313
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AristaStarfyr/pseuds/AristaStarfyr
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Leo faces a crossroads in his life.  Is he truly cut out to be the Leader?  Will Raph be there for him no matter what?  His balance in Clan life and his personal life is in an upheaval and he must figure out how to put it all together.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. PLOT TWIST

"The terms 'Alpha', 'Beta,' and 'Omega' were originally derived from the heirarchy of wolf packs. The Alpha is the strongest, the fastest, the most virile of the pack. The Omega is the most submissive and eagerly waits for direction from the Alpha. The Beta is the wolf 'in-between,' neither craving nor needing an Omega or Alpha for direction. This genetic variant is only seen in males considering the natural mutation is found in the Y chromosomes of mammals. In turn, females do not contain this variant and generally are labelled as 'Betas' along with males who do not present as Alpha or Omega. So why did this little chromosome decide it needed to have an extra purpose? Here, on NOVA, the mystery is explained!"

The theme music came on and Michelangelo groaned, clapping his hands to his ears. "My virgin ears! They're gonna fall off!" He lifted his hands and then screamed when he saw his empty palms. "It's already happened!"

Fistfuls of popcorn were chucked at him along with the grumbles of "Shut up!" "Knock it off, Mikey" and "Seriously, dude?"

"This is going to be as bad as when Splinter--" Mikey looked up, remembering that April and Casey were here and it had been their turn to pick the shows. Leave it to April and her not really subtle hints to get Donnie to look at her again. He would hate to be the one to break it to her that Donnie was the wrong tree to climb on. More popcorn and empty chip bags were hurled in his direction again.

"MIKEY!"

Don's eyes were still on the TV as he absently munched on some popcorn that had been tossed in his direction. Michelangelo could protest all he wanted, but he needed to be around for this episode just like the rest of them. It wasn't pure accident that April picked this to be the first show in their marathon. Donatello had mentioned casually that he was interested in researching the Alpha variant considering it wasn't something he would see in his brothers' genomes. Little did April know that Don had known about their own issues several years before they even met any humans. Don had planted the suggestion so that his brothers could learn more rather than listening to their brother drone on and on and on. And it served to quell Leo's worries about them around their friends.

The first fifteen minutes of the show consisted of wolf behavior which ticked Raphael off. "Get to the point!" The next fifteen minutes was spent on how wolf behavior correlated with Human Variant Behavior. Mikey commented how humans had more names for this stuff than Mikey did for the precious collections in his room. Mention of inhibitor use was common in order to maintain control that made both Alpha's quiet for a moment. Then came the animated visuals of the changes in human males in regards to genital growth and displacement. That set just about everyone off. Casey joined in on the heckling, laughing it up next to Raph as Donnie shook his head while Mikey hid behind him, once again worried about his 'virgin ears' and now adding his 'virgin eyes' to the mix. Just a typical reaction for a group of boys being forced to watch something involving their bodies. Completely normal.

April knew how much of a ruckus the video would cause and let it play out around her as she vaguely paid attention to how Omegas gave birth and the screams of horror from the peanut gallery as they showed a man in labor. Seriously! Women did it all the time as the Omegas did. The only difference was location, location, and midwifing skills. Something tickled in the back of her mind and she lifted her head, looking at her friends. Raph and Casey were sharing crude jokes. Mikey was still whining to Donatello about the mental damage he just imparted upon his young and fragile turtle soul. Donnie simply rolled his eyes and retorted back about how learning about this was good for all of them if they were going to go further into the sex syndicate that managed more than a toehold on their fair city. Leo was calm through the whole thing, as still as a lake. That was the thing that was off in April's head. He could be as childish as any of them but there he was, silently regarding the documentary like it was paint peeling off a wall. It wasn't enough for her to give it a voice yet so she let it alone, offering the disk to Mikey so he could watch it any time he liked. Least to say Mikey jumped away so fast that it reminded her of Raph facing down a roach.

"Thanks, April," Donnie said as he took the disk. "I can make a copy of it for my own library and you can have the original back tomorrow, if you like."

"That's fine. There's no hurry, Don."

"Can we _please_ have a normal movie, now? Shawn of the Dead, maybe?" Mikey looked at everyone with his soulful baby blue eyes, hoping that they would just agree with him.

The rest of movie night went without a hitch and the turtles bid their human friends a good night. Four turtles collapsed into the pit to stare at the TV that had been turned off. For a minute the silence was sweet and soft before it was broken by a voice. "Why the hell did you let her make us watch that?" It was Raph's voice and he was glaring daggers at Leo.

"Well, _I_ got some information out of it!" Leo blushed furiously, turning to Don. "How would she have thought to have brought that down, anyway?"

"We passed your test, didn't we, Leo?" Donnie countered, uncrossing his legs and stretching. "We didn't lose it in front of our friends, did we? No. So your worrying about whether we can conduct ourselves normally around them can stop."

"I'm just going to stay in this corner forever and rock back and forth. Slowly." Mikey had to add his two cents into the mix.

"I'm pretty certain we can keep this a secret from them, Leo," scoffed the termpermental brother, leaning back against the couch and folding his arms behind his head. "The only one who's going to give us away is probably going to be you."

Leo had been half listening to the conversation around him as his own thoughts drifted through his head. He started when he was addressed directly and peered at Raph. " _Me?_ What makes you think it'll be me, Raph?"

"Really? How can it not be? Drifting off into lala land, looking way too intense at that video, your tail--"

"Your tail!" agreed the other younger brothers.

"My tail?"

"It's not uncommon to see it when you're watching Space Heroes, but on a documentary?" Donnie leaned forward, pointing at Leo as he spoke. "You're lucky that Raph had Casey's attention on him instead of you. That thing was going a mile a minute during those scenes."

"'Those scenes?!'" Leo's face was getting redder by the minute as he listened to his brothers. Which scenes were they implying? Were they all watching him instead of paying attention to the show?

Quickly joining in, Mikey grinned. "Dude, that's probably the most you've seen in a while. Like, _ever_." 

"I know April was giving you a weird look, but I don't think she was staring at your tail," Donnie mused. "Interesting. She's been around us for a few years now and is still oblivious about turtle cues. I would have thought she'd pick something up after all this time."

Leo huffed, not focusing on anyone as he sank further into his shell. "Can we _not_ discuss April's astuteness with my tail wagging, please?" 

"Of course, that also might be a good reason as to why she's still under some belief that I might be interested in her." Don curled forward again, tapping his chin with a finger. "She wouldn't be receptive to the pheromone cues-maybe on a unconscious, base instinct at best. If she's not registering on a primal level, then this mutation doesn't go back as far as humanity believes, does it? Maybe this only occurred in the past few hundred thousand years instead of millennia." With eyes lit up with excitement, he got up to head on over to his lab. "I need to make some notes. I never thought this could be a recent mutation in the human genome-relatively speaking. It might give me some ideas for the future!"

The three turtles watched Donatello go, still babbling about rNA and other things, then turned to Mikey who watched him go with a dreamy smile. "So you goin'?"

"Huh? Go where?"

"Go after him," Raph clarified, jabbing a thumb at his younger brother. "Don's going off to spend three days in his lab, again."

"Nah, dude. With D, you gotta pick your fights. I'm not winning this one." Mikey also got up and stretched. "If he's fired up like that, better off he runs it out in the lab. I can only do so much. Night, dudes!"

"Night, 'bro." Raph and Leo were left alone in the pit. There was a moment of quiet before Leo turned to Raph. 

"Do you really think I'm a liability to the team?"

"What?" Raph had been contemplating on turning in or watching something somewhat mindless on the tube so Leo's question caught him off guard. "What are you talking about."

"The team. My leadership skills. If I'm going to give away what we really are--"

"Come on, Leo. You're overthinking things just because your tail wags when you get tight in the shell about something." Raph snorted. "Not once have I seen your tail peep out during a real fight. I think we're good."

"But you just _said_ that if anyone was going to blow it, it was going to be me." Leo sat up and cocked his head at his brother, waiting for a straight answer. "I want to know why you think that."

"There's a difference between blowing it and leadin' the team, Leonardo," Raph countered a little snottily. "If anyone has any doubts about leadin' us, it's probably you since you brought it up."

The challenge made Leo scoff as he looked away briefly. Why in the world would he have any doubts leading the team? "I'm perfectly capable of leading us as a team."

"So why are ya questioning it?"

"I'm not! Y-you are!"

"Am I?" Raph leaned in close to peer into Leo's dark blue eyes. "I don't think I am. Maybe you're just using me as an excuse."

"I doubt that. I question myself all the time. Did I make the correct choice? Will my next choice cost one of my brother's their health, their life? Every choice I make has to be the right one because I'm the one who has to live with that decision."

Raph's teasing faded as he watched his leader drop some of his walls in front of him. "We beat the Shredder, his goons, saved the world from the Kraang and Triceritons and _now_ you're doubting your leadership? Is this some sort of mid-life crisis for ninja leaders or something?" He shook his head when Leo started to protest some more. "No. If you're having some epiphany, maybe you should talk to Sensei about it." Leadership was not Raph's forte. He could lead as long as it wasn't into life or death battle. He stood up and gave Leo a heated kiss on the mouth, smirking when Leo's lips tried to follow. "I'm goin' to bed. Good night, Leo."

Frustration hit him from several different directions but Leo nodded. "See you in the morning." The mess from movie night was still on the floor so Leo used the time to clean it up to settle his thoughts. Once the lights were out, he double checked that Donnie was safe in his lab and that Splinter was in his room. Part of him hesitated on the shoji door, wanting to talk to his father yet not wanting to disturb him, either.

"Come in, my son."


	2. Hemmed-In or Dispersive?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A Father/Son discussion about leadership and love.

"Come in, my son."

Leo never thought he would dread those words, especially when spoken with such gentleness. He knew that he couldn't pull a fast one on his father but he had hoped that maybe avoiding it would last a little longer. The screen slid almost silently and Leo mentally took note that more oil was needed. He closed it reverently and then lifted his eyes to see his father at his little table with a tea set ready to be prepared. Splinter's gesture was simple and yet Leo had no power to resist: come and sit.

The turtle respectfully knelt before his master and the pair silently went through the motions of the ceremony and drank the first cup together. It was tradition with Splinter to do this. The first cup was always in silence so that which ever son who came to him could settle their thoughts and think about how they wanted to word things before they confided in him. Only instead of asking his eldest what was troubling him, Splinter started the conversation with, "I have been meditating, Leonardo."

Something siezed in Leo's chest but he kept his facial features calm and serene. The only sign that he was concerned was the tightening of his lips. "Something troubles you, Father?"

"No....yes." Splinter was quiet as his whiskers twitched. He took in a breath. "Donatello works feverishly on his retro mutagen for me. And he has told me that he is very close to the cure. Michelangelo does all he can to ensure that he does not make himself ill with the pace he wishes to progress."

Leo knew all about Donatello's brain child. He had produced the retro-mutagen before and saved Timothy, Karai, all the mutants who wished to be returned to normal. Even I.C.K. had become a real cat again. Despite the time it took to recreate it, those things were simple. In the case of Splinter, not so much so. He had been a mutant for as long as the turtles had and Leo remembered Donnie saying that the formula, while essentially the same, needed to have something different because of the length of time Splint--Yoshi had been a mutant. Something about the refining technique, or whatever technical jargon Don had used.

"He wants you to have a fulfilling life, Master, as we all do. To be able to live topside and have a relationship with your daughter, again."

"And you _all_ have given me a fulfilling life here, as well, Leonardo. Do not for one moment believe that I have regretted or wished to have something different. You are all my sons and you have made me proud. Even if Donatello does not accomplish this, there would be no reason for me to be disappointed." Brown eyes that held the depths of lifetimes looked at his eldest son while he smiled slightly. "And yet I understand what it is like to be a young man desiring freedom and independence. To be given the chance to find his own destiny without the bonds of family holding him back, but supporting him forward."

Splinter poured out a second cup and Leo knew better to refuse. There was something in his master's words that made Leo pay more attention. He was going to say something and whatever it was was twisting his guts. He knew better than to rush his father and waited patiently, allowing the rat to go at his own pace. "When that time comes, I will decree a Clan Master."

And there was the shoe. Leo tried not to show any emotion to it as he sipped his tea. "But you are our father."

"Yes. But should I live on the surface, there should be continued leadership and wisdom in this home. That should never falter because I am not here." Splinter paused for a moment. "It would be doubly important should there be a next generation."

Leo couldn't quite contain his shock as the other shoe dropped. He choked, trying to recover as quickly as possible while Splinter calmly drank his tea. " _Next generation??_ " Leonardo rasped, still trying to get in a solid breath without his throat closing up. Oh crap. They were still trying to situate this whole Alpha/Omega bonding thing and Splinter was thinking farther ahead?

"A ninja should always be prepared for several contingencies. This is useful both on the field and in one's private life."

"Hai, sensei." Leo drew in a deep breath and held it for a count of five before releasing it slowly. He could swear he saw a flicker of amusement in his father's eyes. The old rat wasn't so stoic that he wasn't going to tease his sons every so often, it was just that Leo wasn't expecting _that_. "You have an idea who you wish to carry on the Hamato clan?" 

"Yes, Leonardo."

Had this discussion happened last week, Leo would have been ecstatic and practically begging to know who it was. Tonight he was quiet and avoiding his next question. The turtle looked down at his cup and the half drunk tea. Splinter was more than aware of it and he hummed softly. "Simple worries of a father who has been watching his children mature into young men. I would ask what troubles you of late that you would linger by my door, uncertain to ask for my wisdom." The declaration made the turtle cringe and Splinter knew he had hit the nail on the head. "All that I can hope, my son, is that you will seek my counsel when you feel at a loss. Even when one day I will not be here, I still have the desire to be involved and help where I can."

"I don't know if I'm cut out to be Leader, anymore."

"Mmmm?" Splinter didn't act surprised at the revelation but he was curious. "You have been the leader for your brothers since you asked for the position several years ago. Together you and your brothers have helped save the city and the world." But not without the growing pains of learning and gathering experience. Every night when the turtles went out he still stayed up, worried for their safety. Injuries were infrequent these days, but not gone altogether.

"I know."

"You have lead your team into countless battles and entered your own trials alone. While not every time has been a victory or all came away unscathed, you all have come home each time."

"Yes, I know that, too."

"And while you are brothers and will bicker from time to time as brothers do, when in battle, they look to you for your leadership and wisdom."

"Hai."

Splinter watched his eldest son for a moment, trying to piece together what was troubling him. "Yet there is something more that you desire?"

Leo sighed deeply, finally looking up at his father. "Splinter, I am having problems trying to balance this all out. One day, our friends will find out about us. How are they going to accept that an Omega is the one who lead them?"

"I am sure it will be with the same difficulty as they accepted the leadership of a mutant turtle."

Okay. He had a point. And in all honesty, that was the smallest of issues as far as Leonardo was concerned. He shifted, leaning forward as if to emphasize his problem. "Then there's the Alphas."

"I was under the assumption that the inhibitors that Donatello had constructed had helped them through their aggressiveness and urges." Splinter's ears tipped forward towards Leo, waiting for clarification.

"N-no, that's worked perfectly. They're under control and after this past patrol, I have no doubts that they will remain so from now on." Finally he had to admit it. He needed to admit it out loud and purge it like a festering wound. "It is _I_ who has no control."

Now that was something that Splinter wasn't quite expecting. He eyed his son carefully, silently bidding his son to continue.

"I have tried _everything_. Extra training, more meditation, poured through my copies of Sun Tzu and still I can't find a resolution! I can stand up to them when I need to, when I must for the team but inside a little bit of me dies. That's what it feels like. It's like I have to go against it all just to keep the family together. That can't... it can't possibly be what it's supposed to be, is it?" His dark blue eyes pleaded with is father for anything that could help him. He needed some sort of hope to figure out this mess that he believed himself to be in.

"And what of Raphael?"

For a split moment that felt more intimate than it should be and Leo sat stock straight, looking anywhere but at the old rat. "I don't know what you mean?"

A small smile crept under Splinter's whiskers. "How does he support you when you feel as if you are at your weakest?"

"Oh." It felt weird having this conversation-it did from the beginning. But Splinter wasn't asking for details and Leo sure as hell wasn't going to give him any. "He ... he lets me be weak. He takes the control over." The next moment his eyes fly up and he starts a bit. "But we haven't been--!"

Splinter held up his hand, holding back the chuckle that was threatening to come out. "I know, my son. This is not an interrogation of what you do in your private time. However, I appreciate the discretion." It gave Leo a moment to relax a bit before he continued on. "I have yet to see a problem with this relationship. When you are at your weakest, you are at your strongest because you allow assistance from your mate." Leo's eyes widened. Splinter truly said it. _Mate_. "That is a necessary skill for any leader, any master. One cannot rule the world alone. Would it be wrong to think that when Raphael feels he's at his strongest, he is weak?"

Leo knew he was drawing from Sun Tzu and it put a smile on his face. "He would feel his strongest by butting heads with me. Arguing out on patrol and questioning my maneuvers."

Splinter nodded. "Yet you will not allow him to go against your wishes if you are completely certain they are the correct path to take."

"That's correct. But it's his questioning that forces me to make certain that my choice is the best one. Even if going against him hurts."

"Only for a little while."

"Hai."

Splinter let that part of the conversation sink in for a minute as he drank his tea. This was an important lesson for Leonardo and he wanted to make certain that it stuck. While he wished his sons to have long and happy lives together, he was reminded constantly by his shrine that not all endings had the desired happy ending. "What are the nine types of ground that Tzu recognizes?"

"Dispersive ground; Facile ground; Contentious ground; Open ground; Ground of intersecting highways; Serious ground; Difficult ground; Hemmed-in ground; Desperate ground." It was simple answer. Leo had read the book so many times there were full passages he could recite from memory alone. 

"And which of these grounds best represents your relationship with your brothers?"

"With Donnie, it's Facile, Mikey is Intersecting and Raph is Contentious."

He nodded sagely as Leo answered. "Are any of them common grounds?"

"No." Leo cocked his head to the side, trying to figure out what Splinter was trying to say. "Tzu never mentions a common ground."

"Ah. You will see in time, Leonardo, that Love is no different than War. Two fight towards the same goal as do opposing armies. When one reaches a common ground, all is lost for that is stagnation. It is the uneven ground that will bind you closer together. Shen and myself often found ourselves between Serious and Difficult, but that did not lessen our love for each other. Without her love, I could not have been the man I am today. Just as one day you will see that you cannot become the man you are meant to be without your brothers-especially Raphael."

"So...what you're saying is that it doesn't matter if I'm leader or not, all that matters is that I have my family."

"In a sense? Yes."

"But my family can't be strong together unless they have a leader."

"That is also a yes."

"And that leader should be me. "

"If that is what you feel in your heart."

"But then who would be Clan Master?"

A small smile caught Splinter's lips. "The one who has been guided and trained into being one, my son."


	3. The calm after the storm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leo starts to feel that maybe he does have what it takes....

A low, needy groan came from him as he felt pleasure prickle up from his groin to the back of his skull and then shimmy back down. That's how it always was, attraction, need, want, pleasure, desire, and then it came to one brilliant point that always had his limbs curling up and shaking just before that final burst. Those moments of in-between were excruciatingly blissful. All that tension just pumped out of him as he clung to his life line and churred, begging for more, wanting to feel that again. And hearing a dark chuckle, he was rewarded over and over.

Coming down from that last high after several of them brought the falling water to such clarity to him that he almost felt deafened. Raphael had left him in his haze for no more than a few minutes but then he was back. looking relaxed and guilty at the same time. The expression melted into one of adoration when Leo opened his arms up for an embrace. This was farther than they've been before and Leonardo wasn't going to jinx it by saying anything. He had been in the same room when his Alpha finished off. The sounds were muffled through the water and all Leo could really see was his shell, but the scent of arousal and the vibration of his churr was enough to make Leo moan softly with want again. He couldn't resist touching down Raph's plastron, sneaking a feel over the hidden part of him before snuggling more, nosing Raphael's throat. "You're so good to me," 

"I try, Fearless," Raph rumbled back, twitching when his mate's hands found a ticklish spot. There weren't many on a turtle, but if one knew where to look, there were enough. Leo's fingers smoothed out and the other relaxed, pressing a kiss to the top of his leader's head.

"Feeling better?"

The way the brawnier turtle avoided the question wasn't lost upon Leo. "Do you?"

"I do." He always felt better after he and Raph were together. "I'll feel even more so when I can touch you and it's my hands and mouth that you're coming from." There was flush on Leo's cheeks when he said it, but it was honest and true. "I want to lie back for you and just feel you on me." He kissed Raph and shifted position so that he was straddling Raph's thigh so he could press up against rock hard muscle and let the turtle feel his tail wag. He grinned when he saw Raph's eyes darken. Looping his arms around his neck, Leo couldn't resist whispering more entreaties. He was still working on this whole 'dirty pillow talk' deal and was much better at it when Raph's hand wasn't on his dick. "I can't wait until you take me and I feel you pound me down. You'll make me press my leaking-er- cock into the dirt and my tail will be lifted so high for you." 

"I like yer tail," he muttered, reaching behind Leo to stroke it, smirking when he felt its stiffness and the way it shook under his fingers. "Already? You've like, come seven times now." He didn't seem put out by it-especially when Leo's head tipped back with a churr. 

Leo didn't say he was still hot and horny because he hadn't been allowed to touch Raph. He couldn't be satisfied until that thick knot had every drop wrenched from him. Saying something like that would hurt his sensitive Alpha more than either of them would care to admit on top of the fact that it wouldn't seem that Leo wasn't grateful for Raph's struggle to keep things under control. "Please, Raphie..."

A half hour later it was getting late. The pair finally dressed and took the leisurely walk back to the lair. Raph had been watching Leo since movie night with their friends. The turtle had withdrawn a bit and he himself felt terrible considering he had teased Leo like the others. This was the first time since then that they had gone out of the lair for their own time. For those few evenings Leo had been beak deep with the latest translation with Sun Tzu, jotting notes here and there in the margins. Tonight Raph wasn't disappointed in the least with Leo's honest tail. 

Leo walked beside his brother, feeling a little more settled now that Raph had held his troubles for him even if the muscular turtle didn't know what they were. He looked over to him and smiled a bit, looking a bit nervous. "I spoke with Splinter the other night."

"Oh? What about?"

He wasn't ready to talk about his own insecurities. Leo thought for a moment it best to address the other issue and hummed softly. "He mentioned to me that when Donnie perfects the retro-mutagen, he would pass Clan Master to one of us."

That caught Raph's attention and he stopped suddenly, looking at Leo as if the turtle had suddenly appeared before him. "What? He's not old and dying, just--"

"Just moving away. Not far, but far enough that he feels more comfortable doing this." A small smile curled on his lips. "Maybe he wants to retire and see if he'll get any grandchildren?" It was so risky to pose the suggestion this way but he didn't feel ready to outright ask Raph, either. Hell, he hadn't even thought of a family beyond the present unit. Why should he? Even though he knew for years that he was Omega, it didn't mean that they, as mutants, would be able to procreate. That was a dream that was never given breath in his thoughts.

Raph was now giving his leader a look that said Leo had sprouted three heads. Kids? _Them?_ Was that the reason why Leo had been skulking around? "You wanna have kids?" His question was whisper soft, still not believing that they were talking about this, much less it was now a very real possibility.

Leo paused, standing in front of Raph. He wasn't expecting this kind of reaction from Raph and he didn't know how to take it. "I never thought about it, really. It wasn't like it was an option, you know?" Maybe if he played it off casually, Raph would ease up or calm or do something other than stare at him with that overwhelming intensity. "I ... guess it is, now, because we either see if it happens or make certain it doesn't."

"What do you want?"

"I don't know. Can you see us-any of us-raising a family here?"

Raph's eyes narrowed slightly. "Splinter, did."

"He had no choice." Leo looked way for a moment. "And he did so well. There's no way I could ever copy that."

"Well, you ain't him." Raph quirked the tiniest of smiles. "Even if you _are_ Junior." He paused briefly, moving closer so he could rest a hand on Leo's shoulder. "I think you'd be a good dad."

"Yeah?"

"You order us around well enough. I'm sure little squirts would be a piece of cake!" He grinned outright as Leo threw him a mock-dirty look. "What? It's not like they'd get the upper hand on you."

"I can't get the upper hand on _you_ in the dojo sometimes!" The bickering was lighthearted and Leo didn't move away from the Alpha's touch. 

"Then they'd be well disciplined kids, huh?"

Leo smiled warmly when he felt Raph kiss and nuzzle his temple. It was so tempting to fall into that lull again and let Raph take care of everything once more. "I suppose so. I don't know, Raph."

"No need to make a decision one way or another, Leo. There's time." He waited a few heartbeats just so he could savior Leo being close to him. "Did he say who he was thinking of bein' Master?"

"No. What if he says you?"

"Pfff-I'll laugh myself right out of my shell!"

"You don't like the title 'Master Raphael'?"

Raph grinned, continuing the walk with his arm over Leo's shoulders. "Hmmm, say it again."

"Master Raphael." He kept the pace with the Alpha, giving the turtle an odd look. There was something going on in Raph's head and Leo wasn't catching on. "Raph?" He didn't even have time to gasp when he felt the wall of the tunnel against his shell and Raph was pressing him up against it. Leo's hands were braced on Raph's plastron, one feeling smooth scutes and the other catching on the jagged edge.

" _Again._ "

"Mast--AH!" He wasn't expecting the bite or the sudden assault to his senses. Leo tipped his head more to the side, letting Raph hang on to that spot that was becoming a favorite. The slow grind to his lower plastron was enough to make his dick painful inside his shell as he tried to stutter out the name. "M-aster Raph-phael!" Leo was panting softly as Raph eased back, gazing longingly at his Omega while Leo remained pliant, pressed against the wall with his head to the side, almost trembling. He ran his tongue over the newly bruised flesh and the smaller turtle churred, shuddering.

"Yeah, I like that title. But I think I should only be hearin' it in the bedroom when I'm bonin' yer brains out. You make it sound really nice."

Leo managed to peel one eye open and look at his smug Alpha. Hell, he was practically preening right there and it was all he could do to not try and tackle him. But they were close to the lair, close enough that his voice could have carried and that thought sobered the eldest brother quickly. His fingers went to the bruise and he smiled, feeling a warmth he didn't usually feel when he was injured in battle or in practice. "Bite me like that again and I'll call you whatever you want."

The taunt was _so_ tempting. _Leo_ was so tempting. Raph could have just said 'fuck it' and decide to keep Leo to himself for the rest of the night in their spot. He was all graceful, muscled lines and his scent was still in Raph's nose, playing with all of his senses. Hell, letting Leo just hear his own climax was enough of a temptation to put the leader's mouth into proper use. He'd let the Omega inside a little more without realizing it and it was getting more difficult to pull back and remember that there were other things that needed to be done. "Don't make promises you can't keep yet, Fearless."

The warning rumble made Leo smug and he dared enough to lean up against Raph, toying with the midline to his scutes with one sure finger. Flirting had definitely gotten easier and smoother between the two. "I will fulfill every single promise I make beyond your expectations as soon as you let me...my Alpha." The reaction was a welcomed one as Raph crushed him close with his hands and a searing kiss. The few days away from Raphael and his musk had sent him into a needy, flirty mood and he didn't want it to end so soon. Neither did Raph, it seemed.

The did make it back to the lair, still challenging and taunting each other softly. When they reached the turnstiles the pair separated more, looking out for their brothers and father. Splinter was no where to be seen which was not uncommon. Mikey was in the pit, half propped up on the couch and absently stuffing popcorn in his mouth as he watched the latest Ip Man movie. Donnie was curled up next to him, out cold. 

"Hey." Mikey craned his neck to grin at his elder brothers. "Found your way home, I see."

"Got the Brain to get out of mad scientist mode?" Raph smirked, peeking at Don. For a mutant turtle, he looked almost...cute with the way his mouth hung open and the gap in his teeth whistled softly with his breathing.

"Every three days, dude. Funny, he even picked out the flick." Mike didn't seem put out that his movie partner was whistle-snoring on top of him. "Going to bed?"

Leo nodded. "Don't stay up too late. Good night, Mike." He didn't have to look behind him to know that Raph was following closely. He could practically feel the heat coming off of him. When he turned around to say good night, he was swept up in a kiss, making him breathe in deeply before it came out in a low, needy sound.

When the kiss ended, Raph's eyes were fire bright as he pressed his forehead against the other's. "G'night, Leo."

"Wait."

He blinked, watching Leo disappear for a moment and then return, pressing a book into his hand. Raph looked down. "Why are you giving me one of your War books?"

"Read it."

"Leo..."

"No, just... read it. For me?" He looked up imploringly as he touched Raph's elbow. "You don't have to do it right away, but just.. one day. Alright?"

"Fine. Go to bed, now."

"Sleep well, Raph." Leo's smile was warm as he watched the Alpha lumber on into his own room. Things were definitely starting to feel better, now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew! This chapter certainly took some teeth with it. ;)
> 
> Just a heads up, with all the canon/world building questions I'm getting, I want you to know that all of those questions are excellent. However, I don't have time to world build everything. Unless it's something specific to the turtles and I'm not planning on touching base in fics, I'll expand on it in the comments section. Otherwise this is a non-profit fic! Feel free to create your own head canon. Thanks for reading!


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